Closure with pour spout

ABSTRACT

A closure having a spout, and a container using such a closure are disclosed. The closure is formed of a paperboard panel surrounded by a plastic resin skirt formed around the panel in a mold. The spout is integrally molded with the skirt and is attached to an interior surface of the panel by a hinge. The spout has a floor and sides connected to the floor by hinges. The floor is positioned adjacent to a separable portion of the panel defined by perforations. Separation of the separable portion from the panel creates an opening. The floor of the spout is pivoted through the opening. The panel edges defining the opening contact the sides and force them to pivot toward the floor and form the spout. The container may be closed by pivoting the floor back toward the opening, the sides entering the interior of the container beneath the panel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/893,965, filed Mar. 9, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to closures which incorporate a pour spout and tocontainers having such closures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers holding dry granular matter such as table salt and detergentare often equipped with closures having a retractable pour spout topermit the container to be opened and the contents to be dispensed in acontrolled manner. Such containers according to the prior art maycomprise, for example, a three-sided metal chute that is pivotallymounted in a sidewall or a container closure. The chute is hingedlymounted to the container in an opening, and when it is desired to openthe container and dispense some of its contents, the chute is pivotedabout the hinge and swings out from the container. The three sidesforming the chute direct the flow of the granular matter. Uponcompletion, the chute is pivoted so that two of the sides retract intothe container and the third side, positioned between the two sides, liesflat with the surface of the sidewall or closure substantially in thesame plane as the surface.

While such spouts are useful, they add expense and complications to themanufacture of the container or the closure, as the spout must be formedand then integrated into the component as a moving part. It would beadvantageous to have a pour spout wherein the integration of the spoutinto a container closure is simplified to provide a more economicaldesign.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a closure for a container. The closure comprisesa panel having a perimeter. The panel has a first surface and a secondsurface oppositely disposed. A skirt surrounds the panel and is attachedthereto at the perimeter. The skirt extends in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the panel and defines a well with the first surface.The closure also includes a spout comprising a floor portion and firstand second side portions positioned on opposite sides of the floorportion. A first hinge attaches the first side portion to the floorportion, and a second hinge attaches the second side portion to thefloor portion. A third hinge attaches the floor portion to the firstsurface of the panel. The first and second hinges are orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the third hinge. The spout is positionedadjacent to the first surface of the panel. A portion of the paneladjacent to the floor portion is separable from the panel to form anopening therein. The floor portion is pivotable about the third hingethrough the opening. The first and second side portions are pivotablerespectively about the first and second hinges to pass through theopening and form the spout with the floor portion.

In one embodiment, the skirt and the spout are formed of plastic resinand the panel is formed of paperboard. Preferably, the hinges are livinghinges.

The invention also encompasses a container. The container comprises asidewall surrounding an interior space. A bottom is attached to thesidewall, and the closure, as described above, is attached to thesidewall opposite to the bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container having a closure with a pourspout according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the closure and pour spoutshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the closure taken from inside of thecontainer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the closure taken at line 4-4 ofFIG. 3 with the pour spout in a closed configuration;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the closure with the spout in an openposition; and

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken at line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a container 10 having a sidewall 12 surrounding an interiorspace 14. A bottom 16 is attached to the sidewall, and a closure 18 isattached to the sidewall opposite to the bottom. Closure 18, shown indetail in FIGS. 2 and 4, comprises a panel 20 having a perimeter 22. Inthis embodiment, the panel is formed of paperboard to provide a surfacecapable of receiving high quality printing for the display of a brandname, colorful graphics and product information.

The panel 20 is surrounded by a skirt 24. Skirt 24 is preferably formedof a plastic resin and provides the structure for attachment of theclosure to the sidewall 12 of the container 10. Skirt 24 extendssubstantially perpendicularly to the plane of panel 20 and defines awell 25 in conjunction with a surface 27 of the panel 20. Surface 27faces the interior space 14 of the container 10. Skirt 24 has a rim 26which allows for attachment of the skirt to the perimeter 22 of panel20. The rim also provides stiffness to the closure and the container. Aspout 28 is attached to the surface 27 of the panel 20 by a hinge 30, asbest shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, spout 28 is formed of the same plasticresin as skirt 24 and is molded along with the skirt. Sprues 29, whichextend from the skirt to the spout, provide evidence of the moldingprocess which forms both the skirt and the spout. As further shown inFIG. 3, spout 28 is formed of three portions, a floor portion 32 andfirst and second side portions 34 and 36 positioned on opposite sides ofthe floor portion. Each of the side portions 34 and 36 is attached tothe floor portion by a respective hinge, 38 and 40. For proper operationof the spout 28, as described in detail below, the hinges 38 and 40between the side portions 34 and 36 and the floor portion 32 areoriented substantially perpendicular to the hinge 30, which attaches thespout to the panel 20. Hinges 30, 38 and 40 are preferably “livinghinges” formed from a region of plastic having a reduced thickness toprovide increased flexibility. Because of the reduced flexibility, thespout 28 will naturally tend to pivot about the hinge 30 and the sideportions 34 and 36 will tend to pivot about respective hinges 38 and 40relative to the floor portion 32.

To allow the spout to form during use only the hinge 30, or both thehinge 30 and the floor portion 32, are attached to the surface 27 ofpanel 20. Whether floor portion 32 is attached to surface 27 or not,during molding of the skirt and spout, the floor portion 32 ispositioned so as to be adjacent to a separable portion 31 of the panel20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Preferably, the separable portion 31 isdefined by perforations 33 which allow the separable portion 31 to beseparated from the panel 20 and form an opening therein. Preferably, theseparable portion 31 is the same shape as but slightly larger than thefloor portion 32 of the spout 28 to enable the spout to be drawn throughthe opening and be formed as described below.

Manufacture of the closure is advantageously accomplished using a cavityand core mold having a mold space that defines the skirt 24, rim 26 andspout 28 and receives the plastic resin. During manufacture, the mold isopened and a paperboard panel 20 is placed in the mold. Orientation tabs35 (best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) extend from the panel 20 and fit intorecesses in the mold (not shown) thereby orienting the panel so thatwhen the skirt and spout are molded the floor portion 32 of the spout 28is positioned adjacent to the separable portion 31 of the panel 20. Themold is then closed and the plastic resin is injected into the moldspace. The plastic resin may be polyethylene, polypropylene or otherflexible, resilient plastic. When the molten plastic comes into contactwith the perimeter 22 of the panel 20, it adheres to the panel. Certainplastics, such as polyethylene will naturally adhere to the paperboardpanel. For plastics which do not naturally adhere, adhesion of theplastic to the paperboard may be accomplished by coating the perimeterof the panel with a thin layer of plastic resin that will adhere to boththe paperboard and the plastic resin of the rim. Similar measures may betaken to adhere the hinge 30 and floor portion 32 of spout 28 to surface27 of the panel 20. It may be necessary to ensure that the side portions34 and 36 do not adhere to the surface 27. Proper operation of the spoutrequires that these side portions be free to pivot, and therefore theyshould not be constrained by attachment to the panel 20. For plasticresins which would naturally adhere to the paperboard panel a coating ofvarnish, applied to the panel surface 27, will prevent adhesion of theside portions 34 and 36 to the surface. The surface 27 may bepre-printed with adhesion promoting and adhesion preventing coatings asrequired so that the hinge 30 and floor portion 32 adhere to the surfacewhile the side portions 34 and 36 do not adhere upon molding of theskirt and spout.

To effect opening of the closure 18, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, thefloor portion 32 has a projection 52 that extends through the panel 20above the panel's outside surface 46. The projection 52 is formed duringthe molding process by providing a slit 53 through the separable portion31 of panel 20 (see also FIG. 4). Molten plastic resin, which forms thefloor portion 32 of spout 28, is under pressure during molding and willflow through the slit and into the mold space above the panel 20,conforming to the shape of the mold space which defines the projection52. This projection allows the floor portion 32 to be manually pivotedabout the hinge 30 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Pivoting of the floorportion 32 causes the separable portion 31 of the panel 20 to separatefrom the panel along the perforations 33 (see FIG. 1) and form anopening 56, best shown in FIG. 6. As the floor portion 32 is pivotedabout hinge 30, the adjacent side portions 34 and 36 are drawn throughthe opening 56 and forced, by contact with the panel edges 57surrounding the opening 56, to pivot about their hinges 38 and 40 towardthe floor portion 32. Pivoting of the side portions forms the pour spout28. To prevent the side portions 34 and 36 from disengaging from theopening 56, a projecting stop surface 62, shown in FIG. 7, is providedin each side portion. To reclose the closure, the floor portion 32 ispivoted about the hinge 30 back toward the panel 20. Being resilient,the side portions 34 and 36 pivot away from the floor portion as theyenter the interior space 14 of the container 10 to at least partiallyresume their as-molded shape, thereby helping to retain the spout 28 ina closed configuration. The closure 18 may be opened and closed manytimes with the flap portions forming the pour spout upon each opening.

Closures according to the invention provide a spout for convenientopening, pouring and reclosing of the container. By integrally moldingthe spout with the skirt and rim efficiency of production is achieved,as fewer steps are necessary to produce a closure having a pour spoutthan if a spout were added separately after formation of the closure.

1. A closure for a container, said closure comprising: a panel having aperimeter, a first surface and a second surface oppositely disposed; askirt surrounding said panel and attached thereto at said perimeter,said skirt extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to saidpanel and defining a well with said first surface; a spout comprising afloor portion and first and second side portions positioned on oppositesides of said floor portion; a first hinge attaching said first sideportion to said floor portion; a second hinge attaching said second sideportion to said floor portion; a third hinge attaching said floorportion to said first surface of said panel, said first and secondhinges being oriented substantially perpendicular to said third hinge;and wherein said spout is positioned adjacent to said first surface ofsaid panel, a portion of said panel adjacent to said floor portion beingseparable from said panel to form an opening therein, said floor portionbeing pivotable about said third hinge through said opening, said firstand second side portions being pivotable respectively about said firstand second hinges to pass through said opening and form said spout withsaid floor portion.
 2. A closure according to claim 1, wherein saidskirt and said spout are formed of plastic resin.
 3. A closure accordingto claim 2, wherein said panel is formed of paperboard.
 4. A closureaccording to claim 2, wherein said hinges are living hinges.
 5. Aclosure according to claim 1, further comprising a projection positionedon said floor portion and extending through said panel.
 6. A closureaccording to claim 1, wherein said floor portion of said spout isattached to said first surface of said panel.
 7. A container,comprising: a sidewall surrounding an interior space; a bottom attachedto said sidewall; a closure attached to said sidewall opposite to saidbottom, said closure comprising: a panel having a perimeter, a firstsurface facing said interior space and a second surface oppositelydisposed and facing away from said interior space; a skirt surroundingsaid panel and attached to said sidewall, said skirt being attached tosaid panel at said perimeter; a spout comprising a floor portion andfirst and second side portions positioned on opposite sides of saidfloor portion; a first hinge attaching said first side portion to saidfloor portion; a second hinge attaching said second side portion to saidfloor portion; a third hinge attaching said floor portion to said firstsurface of said panel, said first and second hinges being orientedsubstantially perpendicular to said third hinge; and wherein said spoutis positioned adjacent to said first surface of said panel, a portion ofsaid panel being separable from said panel to form an opening therein,said floor portion being pivotable about said third hinge through saidopening, said first and second side portions being pivotablerespectively about said first and second hinges to pass through saidopening and form said spout with said floor portion.
 8. A containeraccording to claim 7, wherein said skirt and said spout are formed ofplastic resin.
 9. A container according to claim 8, wherein said panelis formed of paperboard.
 10. A container according to claim 7, whereinsaid hinges are living hinges.
 11. A container according to claim 7,further comprising a projection positioned on said floor portion andextending through said panel.
 12. A container according to claim 7,wherein said floor portion of said spout is attached to said firstsurface of said panel.